Deciding which self-publishing company to go with can be a real challenge. To assist you with this process, I’m beginning a series of posts where I do the legwork for you! I’ll prepare a side-by-side comparison of two similar publishing packages from two self-publishing companies. I’ll strive to keep it as simple as possible to help cut through the vast amount of information out there by giving you an easy to read chart and a brief summary of my impressions on the comparison.
I’ll start this series with a comparison of two of the most robust self-publishing packages available: The “One Click for Coaches & Speakers” from Outskirts Press (which you can enjoy even if you’re NOT a coach or speaker, by the way) and the “Total Design Freedom” from CreateSpace. The information shared here is current as of the date I completed the comparison (18 November 2012).
| Outskirts Press One-Click Publishing For Coaches & Speakers | CreateSpace Total Design Freedom Marketing Pro | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| $4497 | $4634 | ||
| Production Options | Expedited Service | ✓ | |
| Copyright registration | ✓ | ||
| Custom Cover | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Enhanced Interior Formatting | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Cover Scribing / Promotional Text | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Library of Congress Control Number | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Your ISBN/ Imprint or ours | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Interior Elements | Up to 20 images | Up to 10 images (add’l @ $15 each) | |
| Copyediting | Up to 75,000 Words | Up to 60,000 Words | |
| Additional Formats | Amazon Kindle Edition | ✓ | |
| Secure EBook Edition | ✓ | ||
| Espresso Book Machine Edition | ✓ | ||
| Marketing Services | Publication Press Release | ✓ | ✓ |
| Custom Topic Press Release | ✓ | ||
| PR Publicist Campaign | ✓ | ||
| Electronic Clipping Service | ✓ | ||
| Author Webpage | ✓ |
After comparing these two self-publishing services side by side, the winner looks to be Outskirts Press. For $137 less, you receive expedited service, official copyright registration with the US Copyright Office, the Amazon Kindle edition of your book, the Espresso Book Machine edition, electronic clipping service, a PR campaign, and five hours of personal marketing assistance with a professional book marketing expert, among other benefits.
See all the benefits and features of the One-Click Package for Speakers & Coaches by clicking here.
I’d love to know, which option would you choose and why?
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ABOUT JODEE THAYER: With over 20 years of experience in sales and management, Jodee Thayer works as the Manager of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable customer service reps and publishing consultants; together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process in order to help them publish the book of their dreams. Whether you are a professional looking to take your career to the next level with platform-driven non-fiction or a novelist seeking fame, fortune, and/or personal fulfillment, Jodee Thayer can put you on the right path. |
dear jodee
your comparison looks good. i wish you would compare OP’s diamond package with create space. i am told at the end of the day usually authors are left to do the marketing all by themselves. can you enlighten me on this matter. i am planning to use OP but still undecided. chris
Hi Chris! Thank you for your comment. I believe I have addressed your concerns and questions in an email a couple days ago, but thought I would reply here as well.
I would be happy to prepare a comparison of the Diamond package offered by Outskirts Press and the most similar package offered by CreateSpace — look for that detailed review on my blog soon!
In the meantime, I will tell you that in my experience one of the many places where Outskirts Press typically outshines its competitors is when you look at distribution and royalties. I’ll include an example in my comparison blog post.
In regards to your question about marketing, it is true that along with self-publishing comes self-marketing. Self-publishing companies will include distribution of your book through wholesalers and online retailers, but this does not include marketing. Check out my earlier blog post on this subject: https://selfpublishingadvisor.com/2012/07/17/you-cant-sell-your-car-in-the-garage/.
Not all self-publishing companies leave the author to do the marketing on their own. Some companies offer marketing services (http://outskirtspress.com/marketing) to assist you with the marketing and promoting of your book.
I wish you the best with your publishing project!
Jodee
Jodee, Thanks for putting this together – this is great information. I write very technical books on the subject of Agile Project Management. I’ve published one book in 2013 through OP and they produced a good quality book and did a good job on distribution and royalty management, but their marketing support was minimal for the kind of book I write. I’ve learned that the way to market the books I write is to get into the university textbook market and that’s how the book I’m currently writing is targeted. (I am an Adjunct Professor at Boston University). I’ve published one prior book through Wiley and I’m leaning towards publishing this book through Wiley as well because they have a strong marketing focus on the university textbook market. However, in the interest of getting the book to market quickly, I’m thinking of taking the book all the way to camera-ready copy on my own as a first step and then negotiating a publishing agreement with Wiley – if Wiley decides not to publish it, I will do it on my own.
Do you know anyone who has done something like that? Any advice? I would think that CreateSpace would give me more flexibility for doing that kind of thing than OP – do you agree?